Thursday September 23, 1999 12:36 AM

This sign tells looters they are not welcome in a Rocky Mount neighborhood. [Sign says "Homeowners Only"]

Flood victim Nancy Pierce is glad for the extra protection. She says she has no choice but to leave her water soaked belongings out on the lawn to air out.

Probation and parole officers are helping guard neighborhoods, only letting authorized people in.

Patrols Protecting Flood Victims from Becoming Crime Victims

NASH COUNTY (WRAL) -- It is the dark side of disaster; people looking to take advantage of flood victims who are down and out.

Flood damage has forced home and business owners to take all of their belongings outside. They have to keep them there because there is no place else to put them.

Extra law enforcement, Military Police and the National Guard are standing watch in several neighborhoods to keep looters out.

In Rocky Mount, police are getting extra help from parole and probation officers. They guard flooded neighborhoods from looters during the day, only letting in authorized people.

At nightfall, police take over. They are being counted on to make sure flood victims do not become crime victims.

Extra patrols are also guarding residential and businesses in other areas left exposed by flooding.

Rocky Mount Police expect another 200 members of the National Guard to arrive by Thursday to help out with the patrols.

And from the WRAL Floyd forum, I snipped this on looters out of a post crtiticizing coverage by a certain TV station (not WRALl):

Have they once mentioned that there are reports of civil unrest in Nash & Edgecombe Counties; That looting seems to be widespread across the region, or that in Duplin County, armed persons are threatening others? [From another TV station's reports.]

Or, have they told you that the state is flying an incinerator around Jones County to dispose of dead livestock; That the National Guard is transporting farmers back to feed their remaining livestock; Or, that a hazardous material spill has occured on the Pasquotank River near ECity?

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), September 23, 1999

Answers

Funny how when a corporation 'downsizes' a loyal worker right before Christmas, it's feted on Wall Street as economic expansionism, share-value enhancement, whatever. But when a dirt-poor fool wants to come and grab (what? some wet shirts? A VCR?) it's called looting and people think it best to shoot them. What's worse, losing a VCR or your job and benefits? One is legal, praised, the other utterly anathematized. What an odd society we've got.

-- Spidey (in@mighty.jam), September 23, 1999.

"What's worse, losing a VCR or your job and benefits?"

People own VCRs. They don't own their jobs.

Your employer is free to fire you if he wants to. While it may be inconvenient for you, it isn't stealing. Taking property from someone else w/o paying for it, is.

Is this really a difficult concept? Is anyone really confused by this? If so, we ARE in sorry shape.

-- don't steal my (wet@tee.shirts), September 23, 1999.

spidey, just think aobut the ramifications of that one poor folk getting away with stealing your things. it wouldn't be long before many poor and wealthy folk alike are helping themselves to everyone's things. plus folks who were robbed might want their things back. just imagine the anarchy. laws are there to keep society reigned in and i am thankful for the national guard and the role they are playing in helping these flood victims get through this. i read nothing but praise of them on another board.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), September 23, 1999.

Spidey has a point. Look at the "Cash Balance" pension scam. A perfect example of corporate looting, except instead of losing a $100 TV, you're out of part of your live savings.

-- a (a@a.a), September 23, 1999.

Spidey,

Yes, you do have a point...for another thread, that is. It's "red herringism" at it's finest, to bring it up here.

The actions of callous, indifferent and rapacious corporations are the downside of capitalism, and I agree that methods need to be found that will correct this. But there is nothing in either our ecomic system or system of gov't that protects looters. Regardless of whether you are conservative or liberal, capitalist or socialist, Repulican, Democrat or Libertarian, there is nothing ideolgical to support the actions of looters. Frankly, I doubt that even the Anarchists would think much of the idea, in a one-on-one situation, where someone was stealing their goods.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja. com), September 23, 1999.

Bokonon,

My father told me about a law in pre-war Germany called Monthouse (I have no idea how this word is really spelled). Basically "Monthouse" was the right of a person to take food if they were starving, or at least truely hungry. A person could have been arrested for stealing an apple and eating it, but if the thief said he was hungry the judge would throw out the case because of the "Monthouse" law.

-- Cigarette Smoking Man (csm@smoke.com), September 23, 1999.

The point here is that there are some people who will take whatever they can, whether they need it or not (and I seriously doubt any of it was food for someone starving to death) from people who have been knocked down to very near zero and are trying to salvage a few meager possessions. Whether your disaster is caused by water, wind, fire or Y2K, please remember that GIVEN EVEN THE SLIGHTEST OPPORTUNITY, PEOPLE WILL STEAL YOUR STUFF!

And nobody has noticed that parole and probation officers are doinG what the National Guad usually does. Perhaps people with more knowledge can help but it looks to me as if the National Guard presence in this disaster is about 25 percent of what it used to be in such situations. Do you suppose that the Guard has been downsized to impotency? If not, why aren't they out in force in the flood zone? Seems to be this would be the perfect opportunity to give the Guard some real experience in keeping civil order.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), September 23, 1999.

OG,

Thanks for info. Here in Midwest the media has stopped covering floyd...not big news anymore...keep info coming. Glad your computer still works.

Spidy,

Maybe you were just a little tired when you posted..Kind of like apples to oranges, isn't it? Neither one is right, but not comparable.

-- Moore Dinty moore (dac@ccrtc.com), September 24, 1999.